The coronation for her was beautiful. Everypony they cared about had surrounded them, the other three alicorns had beamed down at them with pride, and the love that shone in their parents' eyes filled them with such joy.
Spike couldn't have imagined anything better.
Still, the grand celebration had to come to an end, and the new alicorn and her brother had to go back home.
Twilight and Spike kissed their parents goodbye and disappeared in a flash of light.
In the darkness of Golden Oaks library, Spike couldn't help but note the now flickering waves of white that slid down both their bodies. He glanced back up at his sister, and saw her new wings wide-open in stiffness and her eyes clenched shut.
"Twi...?" he gently prodded, lightly squeezing one of her legs.
She forced her violet eyes open, blinked, and then relaxed her wings.
"Sorry about that," she apologized, giving him a thin smile. "I know my magic has expanded and it certainly feels like it."
His green, glowing eyes blinked in puzzlement. "But you only just used unicorn magic, didn't you?"
Twilight nodded and stretched. "Of course, but along with having the magic of all the pony races, I think my magical skill in each category has been augmented, including unicorn magic. That answer your question?"
Her brother said nothing as he covered his mouth with his claws in thought, and she decided to usher them both to their beds.
"Wait," Spike finally spoke up.
Her tired gaze was full of eternal patience. "Yes, Spike?"
"Can I...? Can we...?"
"Yes?" she pressed.
"Can I— can we see your new magic in action?"
Twilight gave a slight sigh but nevertheless consented. She took her seat at the center table of the library and watched as Spike scurried over to a shelf.
"Here it is!" he exclaimed in triumph as he jogged back with the massive tome over his head.
She smiled fondly at both him and the book.
"Boy, it sure is hard to believe that I wrote most the spells here in your Record of Magical Mastery," the dragon noted with pride as he took a seat opposite his sister.
She rested a cheek against her hoof. "It sure is, Spike," she agreed in bemusement.
His eyes shone in the darkness as they glided back and forth over the index. "Um... let's start with an easy spell!"
Twilight yawned but sat up in her seat. "Sure, what do you have in mi—?"
"Well, I was kinda thinking that it would be better if you take it slow and let me read the steps, that way you— and me, maybe— can gauge how much you've changed."
The alicorn raised her eyebrows for a moment, but then closed her eyes in pseudo-disdain, and gave him a pretentious nod.
"Very well," she conceded. "Your princess shall allow it."
Spike snorted and turned to the spell he wanted to read.
Twilight composed herself and waited.
"Begin by searching for heaven," Spike read.
Twilight breathed deeply, relaxing and letting herself get lost in the spell.
"Heaven is the eternal fire and the eternal light from which you were made."
Magenta encapsulated her horn and the universe slowly unfurled from its tip.
He quickly glanced up at the cosmos engulfing the room before looking back down at the page.
"Find your fire. Find your light. Like a star shining in the eternal darkness, you burn. Find your fire, find your light."
Twilight scrunched her eyes shut in slight focus, slowly moving through the motions of a spell they both knew she could cast instantaneously.
Spike looked up again and saw stars, planets, and systems become tiny streaks of light as Twilight focused on a specific star.
"You are. Ignite," he finished with a murmur.
The star Twilight had pictured in her mind suddenly burst into a brilliant nebula. The simple light spell she had been casting shone with greater brilliance than he had ever seen.
Spike's glowing eyes examined the beauty and wonder stemming from his sister's horn. "Woah," he breathed out.
Twilight opened her eyes and recoiled slightly. "Oh, sorry!" she apologized, "You just wanted me to cast a basic light spell, not create this!"
And the cosmos instantly dissipated.
"Twi, that was amazing!" Spike exclaimed with a grin. "I knew you were capable of some illusions, but you've never—"
"You're right: I've gotten a serious power boost," the new alicorn agreed. "We're definitely going to need to document all the new changes."
Spike pumped a fist in the air. "That's right! What just happened is going in the first research logs!"
Twilight nodded. "It's all very fascinating, Spike, but we would do better research if we were well-rested for tomorrow."
He curbed his enthusiasm and looked back down at the the Record of Mastery.
"Hey, Twi?"
"Yeah?"
"Can we do one more spell?"
"Oh... well, you see, Spike, it's getting very late and we— oh no! Oh no no no no no! Not 'The Face!' Spike, you shouldn't fight dirty like that! I won't—! I can't—! It's—! Augh! Oh alright! One more spell."
The dragon beamed in the darkness. "Thought so!" he smirked in merciless victory.
Both wizard and assistant composed themselves in preparation for the next spell.
"This is a bit more advanced."
"Would I have been capable of doing this yesterday morning?"
"Heh. Of course."
"That's all I needed to know."
They both breathed deeply one more time and Spike read the spell.
"You float higher and freer than air, you are more infinite than the power of the earth, you travel with more courage than coursing waters."
Twilight's horn began to glow and Spike could feel the magic saturate the room.
"In infinite light, there is infinite shadow. Find the shared darkness."
Like lightning crackling in a cloud, Spike once again saw the white, pulsating waves of magic course through various parts of the air around her. Her mane began to stand on end.
"Bring it light."
The magic pulsations burst and tiny purple stars showered down on the two Sparkles.
Twilight held a hoof out to catch the magical little essences. She smiled at her frog as the microstars dissipated upon touching her. "Ah. Pleasant Dreams," the nascent princess noted. "Excellent spell choice, my loyal assistant."
Spike flicked her Record of Magical Mastery shut with a claw. "Of course, my esteemed wizard!" he grinned back at her with a mock bow.
"We'll have to continue this fascinating research on unicorn-alicorn ascension, but let's save that for another time.
Her brother saluted before hopping off his seat and making his way to the stairs.
"Roger that, Twi," he yawned. "Let's test out what this spell can do."
"Let's," she agreed as they both ascended the stairs, carelessly shedding their formal clothes on the floor.
Twilight hopped into bed and Spike bent beneath it to get his basket.
"Spike?"
"Mmm?" he mumbled, ready to feel the affects of her Pleasant Dreams spell.
"Why don't you join me?" his sister invited.
Spike pondered the question a bit longer than he intended to, but managed to shake off his sleepiness for a moment and hop into bed with her.
"Goodnight, Spike," Twilight murmured as she curled around him.
"Goodnight, Twi," he mumbled back, already half asleep. "I love you."
Twilight gave him one last goodnight kiss. "Love you too."
And together, sister and brother went on yet another spectacular journey.
Author's Note
Twilight Sparkle is close to many, but I think the one she is closest to is the little dragon she brought into this world.
Just wanted to have some scenes with these two, because that's precisely what FIM: Fiction needs: more Twilight/Spike fluff.
